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It isn’t until after we each have a cold beer in front of us and take a swig that Brick breaks the silence.
“The fuck happened?”
I take another drink to give myself time to formulate a response. “You know what happened. It wasn’t planned. Hell, I didn’t even know Fat Mike tried to change our agreement. It’s not like he tells me shit.”
Brick is quiet, his gaze drilling into me as I talk. It makes me want to fidget with the label of the bottle in my hands. I’m not exactly sure what kind of answer he’s looking for, but I am not about to go into detail about what the club is going through at the moment. The only reason I had agreed to meet with him was because our problems have spilled over into his club.
“Listen, I’m not sure what you want me to say. The situation quickly went to shit and there was no way to fucking stop it.”
“I had a meeting with my men this afternoon,” Brick starts. “A lot of the guys want to be done with it and fucking end Fat Mike. After the recent bullshit, I’m not entirely opposed to the idea.”
I open my mouth, not entirely sure how to respond to that. All I know is we can’t afford a war with the DMC on top of everything else. Cursing Fat Mike once more, I try to think of something to say to get Brick to hold off on that right now.
He holds up his hand. “I’m not saying that’s what we’re going to do, but your club has a serious fucking problem, Maverick. Now, I don’t know what is going on and I don’t care. But I’ve heard rumors that don’t sit well with me, especially ones concerning a club I have dealings with.”
I watch him take a drink of his beer. He isn’t saying anything that surprises me. Truthfully, considering everything, I feel like Brick is being pretty calm. The only clue he isn’t is the anger in his eyes. The need to choose my next words carefully is extremely important.
“I hear you, Brick, and I completely understand. The Rogues are going through some shit right now. But everything should be worked out soon.” I down the last of my beer. “We just need a little time to figure things out.”
He studies me for a moment, then nods and glances at Mustang, some of his anger fading. “Good. I’ve always considered you a trustworthy man, Maverick. That’s the only reason we’re sitting here. However, if your house doesn’t get in order soon, we’ll be forced to step in and take care of it for you. Understand?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“Good. I truly hope it doesn’t come to that. I don’t think it would be good for either club.”
“I agree.”
He leans back in his chair and taps the table with his fingers. “Let me know once it’s done, then I’ll decide if we’re able to continue to do business.”
Knowing a dismissal when I hear one, I stand, pull some cash out of my pocket and place it onto the table, then walk out of the bar. My mind goes over everything that needs to be done, as well as all the possible outcomes, both good and bad. Just the thought of going to war with the DMC is unimaginable, although I have a funny feeling Fat Mike wouldn’t be upset about it in the least. He’d probably see it as a way of getting rid of some of his club’s “dead weight”.
Shaking my head in disgust, I make my way through the parking lot, stopping short when I see a familiar, black Camaro pull in. A small smile pulls on my lips.
Jenny…
ChapterEight
Jenny
It took everything I had this morning to convince my dad to let me tag along today. I knew I couldn’t be there while they had their meeting, but I told them I’d hit the mall while they were busy, then show up a half-hour later.
Wanting to go with them isn’t something I’d normally do, but finding out they were going to The Empty Shot, where they served the best pulled pork sliders and chili cheese fries, had my mouth watering.
Of course, the fact they were meeting with Maverick may have had a bit to do with it. Even though I’ve never met or even seen the man, what I’d heard about him added to my desire to be there.
So here I am, pulling into The Empty Shot’s parking lot. I know Dad told me to wait until he paged me before showing up, but I just couldn’t wait anymore, the excitement too great.
Glancing around the parking lot, I see my dad’s and brother’s bikes sitting in front. As much as the sight of the bikes sitting next to each other, gleaming in the bright sunlight, is calming, images of my brother covered in blood still overwhelm me. The thought of how close we’d come to losing him makes my stomach ache.
Giving myself a little shake, I attempt to push the thoughts out of my mind. “Mama and Dad raised me to be stronger than that,” I whisper, searching for a place to park. It was then I notice the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen.
I suck in a breath as he stops walking and looks my way. I can’t see his eyes because of the black sunglasses he has on, but the rest of him is tall, built, and droolworthy. The well-worn jeans hug his legs. His black shirt stretches tightly across his chest and abs, his black leather vest completing the look. Tattoos peek out from the t-shirt sleeves, and the confident way he holds himself just makes me want to introduce myself.
When my gaze travels back to his face, I notice the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Fuck. He totally caught me staring at him.
Biting my lip, I pull into a parking spot and turn off the engine. I take a deep breath and grab my purse, opening the door and stepping into the crisp air.
“Nice car.”
